Handy Little Freeware Programs (& mobile apps).

Discussion in 'The Lounge Bar' started by von Poop, Mar 14, 2008.

  1. Vitesse

    Vitesse Senior Member

    I used AVG for years, but found it slowed down my system (an elderly XP SP3 laptop), especially after they released the 2011 version. Same with ZoneAlarm. I was also getting continual conflicts with Adobe Reader updates. Switched to Windows Security Essentials and Windows Firewall, which is now much better than it used to be.

    AVG users might care to try:

    SUPERAntiSpyware.com | Remove Malware | Remove Spyware - AntiMalware, AntiSpyware, AntiAdware!

    It found and destroyed a lot of nasties which AVG had missed on my system. I now run it monthly, mainly to find tracking cookies, which I then block in Firefox.

    Also using this, which includes a very good defrag:

    WiseCleaner - Wise Disk Cleaner Free

    It has a brother:

    WiseCleaner - Wise Registry Cleaner Free

    I run both of them weekly and then defrag. Deleted files go to the recycle bin, so if it does delete something you wanted, it's not permanently lost. You can, if you wish, exclude particular file extensions from being deleted.

    I can also recommend a much better PDF reader than Adobe:

    Foxit Software - Foxit Reader for Windows

    Takes up a fraction of the disk space Adobe uses, plugs in to your browser and offers more functionality, even with the free version.

    I also like this excellent PDF creator: it works as a virtual printer and is a very good way of saving web page content: It will also convert any other document or image on your system to PDF format. Download the zipped version and it will install automatically:

    CutePDF - Create PDF for free, Free PDF Utilities, Edit PDF easily;.
     
  2. kingarthur

    kingarthur Well-Known Member

  3. Groundhugger

    Groundhugger Senior Member

    I look for programs and stuff at Free Downloads Encyclopedia - Softpedia mac. linux .win . all sorts of stuff freeware , trial , try n buy , plus news of upcoming stuff , all in one site .

    john
     
    CL1 likes this.
  4. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

    GIMP for photo editing and openoffice is a microsoft office type programme - both excellent value for money (£0.00) :D
    And this is where to go for free stuff
     
  5. Wills

    Wills Very Senior Member

    Freeware: Advanced System care 4 -clean out the clutter and keeps my windows 7 slick'
    System Ninja- another cleaner (for the cleanliness obsession)
    and finally before the men in white coats arrive - CCleaner!


    Linux Mint or Ubuntu surprised me - dual boot- mint does everything that a costly prog does.

    Filehippo is a good freeware site that is safe and covers many aspects.

    Not a freeware site but a favourite GoandRoam (Live real time webcams) a favourite that never ceases to amaze - the Abbey Road Zebra with audio all day long the wannabe Beatles pose on the crossing.
     
  6. Roxy

    Roxy Senior Member

    I used AVG for years, but found it slowed down my system (an elderly XP SP3 laptop), especially after they released the 2011 version. Same with ZoneAlarm. I was also getting continual conflicts with Adobe Reader updates. Switched to Windows Security Essentials and Windows Firewall, which is now much better than it used to be.

    AVG users might care to try:

    SUPERAntiSpyware.com | Remove Malware | Remove Spyware - AntiMalware, AntiSpyware, AntiAdware!

    It found and destroyed a lot of nasties which AVG had missed on my system. I now run it monthly, mainly to find tracking cookies, which I then block in Firefox.

    Also using this, which includes a very good defrag:

    WiseCleaner - Wise Disk Cleaner Free

    It has a brother:

    WiseCleaner - Wise Registry Cleaner Free

    I run both of them weekly and then defrag. Deleted files go to the recycle bin, so if it does delete something you wanted, it's not permanently lost. You can, if you wish, exclude particular file extensions from being deleted.

    I can also recommend a much better PDF reader than Adobe:

    Foxit Software - Foxit Reader for Windows

    Takes up a fraction of the disk space Adobe uses, plugs in to your browser and offers more functionality, even with the free version.

    I also like this excellent PDF creator: it works as a virtual printer and is a very good way of saving web page content: It will also convert any other document or image on your system to PDF format. Download the zipped version and it will install automatically:

    CutePDF - Create PDF for free, Free PDF Utilities, Edit PDF easily;.

    I dowloaded the SUPERAntispyware programme yesterday. Whether or not accidentally or by design, my computer crashed, I stumped up $80 to download a programme recommended by the freeware which recovered my computer but not before I lost everything saved on it; including even my Internet favourites! I'm not suggesting that Vitesse is anything other than a tip top member of the forum, I'm just suggesting that other members take care before they download this particular programme. i wish I hadn't!

    Roxy
     
  7. Wills

    Wills Very Senior Member

    No two PCs have the same setup or downloaded programs, on on one occasion a free prog recommended in a computer magazine wrecked the system. Luckily I could do a repair rather than a complete reload. later checking I found many others who had a problem. It is like recommending a restaurant the night your friends go the normal chef is on a break!
     
  8. Roxy

    Roxy Senior Member

    Wills,

    Yup, I reckon you are right. It just didn't work for me - either that or my computer was just about to break anyway; and this programme was the one that broke the camel's back!

    Roxy
     
  9. red devil

    red devil Senior Member

  10. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Splendid little freeware file recovery program:
    Pandora Recovery - Download.com
    Free Pandora File Recovery - Find and recover deleted files of any type.
    Well I think it's splendid after just recovering c.3Gig of lost photos & videos from one of the sprogs' Cameras.


    As an aside - if any freeware program, or installation of anything, leads to an unexpected demand for money - Don't Bleedin' Pay It.
    Look to CTRL+Alt+Delete>Task Manager to close the pop up/screenlock, or your System restore if it won't go away, and then your trusted Malware scanners.
    Just saying like.
     
  11. red devil

    red devil Senior Member

  12. jacksun

    jacksun Senior Member

    Sometimes the best things in life are freeware. As you are talking pictures here's two freeware programs I use to manage my pictures.

    RIOT (Radical Image Optimization Tool). Input one or a whole CD of images, compress them all at once overwriting originals or creating new. Choose new file size if desired (2.5mg file -> 750kb) and some other minor tools.
    RIOT - Radical Image Optimization Tool

    BRU (Bulk Rename Utility). Pick a directory with files in it, you can do thousands at a time. Use the easy to use, complex to look at settings to create a new file name, apply it to the files you want. For example, picture files off of camera names P123456.jpg, P123457.jpg....for 500 files. Select all 500 files, adjust settings, rename all 500 files bobs_war_diary_1940_001.jpg, bobs_war_diary_1940_002.jpg, bobs_war_diary_1940_003.jpg etc. Each file new name, in correct order, and understandable.
    Introduction - Bulk Rename Utility

    Enjoy,
    Wayne







    Splendid little freeware file recovery program:
    Pandora Recovery - Download.com
    Free Pandora File Recovery - Find and recover deleted files of any type.
    Well I think it's splendid after just recovering c.3Gig of lost photos & videos from one of the sprogs' Cameras.


    As an aside - if any freeware program, or installation of anything, leads to an unexpected demand for money - Don't Bleedin' Pay It.
    Look to CTRL+Alt+Delete>Task Manager to close the pop up/screenlock, or your System restore if it won't go away, and then your trusted Malware scanners.
    Just saying like.
     
  13. red devil

    red devil Senior Member

    my daughter uses irfan view for her photo management. She is quite the photographer and the results are in some cases gobsmacking!! Yep, its free.
     
  14. Vitesse

    Vitesse Senior Member

    my daughter uses irfan view for her photo management. She is quite the photographer and the results are in some cases gobsmacking!! Yep, its free.
    Yes, Irfanview is excellent. It does lots of things you wouldn't expect too: I've occasionally received email attachments which normal viewers couldn't cope with, but which Irfanview identifies, converts to a readable format (usually .jpg or .bmp) and opens without a problem. You can then save the file and open it normally.

    When downloading it, make sure you add all the plugins.

    I found this Israeli-made prog the other day: FlashJet Scan. Scans directly to PDF. You need to play around with it a bit as there's no real help documentation though.

    This also looks handy: PDF Split and Merge Basic (formerly pdfsam) 2.2.1 Free. Does exactly what it says on the tin - merges, rearranges and splits PDFs.
     
    red devil likes this.
  15. 26delta

    26delta Senior Member

    In the past I used to have a great little utility, that allowed me to list the contents of a folder, disk, whatever, and then exported the results to a spreadsheet. Do anyone of you know anything about this?

    I use to go to Tucows, this was called CD Catalog or something like it, but now I can't find anything like that over there.

    Cheers!
    Miguel

    Download.com has something called XLFileLister. However, if you check the Microsoft Developers website, they have a macro that does the same thing.
     
  16. jacksun

    jacksun Senior Member

    Go to a dos prompt. go to the c:\ if u want the listing of that drive.
    type this command dir > somefile.txt
    this will print out the contents of the directory to the text file (top level directories only).
    then you can export that text file to Excel

    or msls.exe

    or Directory list and print

    or advanced directory printer

    or cathy SnapFiles freeware and shareware downloads and reviews, trusted for quality since 1997

    and quite a few others.
     
  17. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    red devil likes this.
  18. red devil

    red devil Senior Member

    Thanks von poop, that little program will save me hours of work overall. I am forever amending and changing web page backgrounds as the fad takes me, dozens and dozens of pages then forget which was the 'colour' blob I clicked on for another page. No problem now I find a colour, run this over it and just html the codes for uniformity. :p Similarly, if I see a web site that has a particular colour I think oooh, I'll have that - just pinch the code!! Mind you, view source does the same thing but longer.
     
  19. Big Sandy

    Big Sandy Member

    I use Pixie, from nattyware for the same sort of thing.

    Pixie / Nattyware

    Really simple to use. (screen shot below) Though in the image you cant see the cursor...it was on the dragons back. Ha! I guess you can tell what TV programmes I like too....

    The auto paste in Instant Eyedropper is good though. Liking that.
     

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  20. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

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